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Governor’s STEM Advisory Council Announces Working Groups

Date:

December 22, 2011

The Governor’ Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Advisory Council has charged nine working groups with bringing solutions to the challenges Iowa faces in STEM Education. Eight priorities identified by the 40-member Governor’s STEM Advisory Council are: student interest and achievement in STEM education policy improvement; STEM teacher recruitment and preparation; technology-enhanced instruction for global learning; STEM for the gifted, under-represented and nontraditional student; STEM learner readiness for post-secondary education and career; public/private partnerships and mapping STEM education to economic development; and public awareness of the importance of STEM education for the economy and society. In fulfillment of the recommendations to grow from these working groups, two infrastructural committees are hard at work as well: one to configure regional networks for Iowa, the other to make recommendations for the scale-up of exemplary STEM programming across the state.

“We’re looking forward to the powerful impact these groups are going to have on STEM education in Iowa,” said Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds, co-chair of the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council. “Each working group will focus on the most crucial factors influencing STEM education quality in Iowa today. I’m confident that the outstanding thinkers assembled for this task will provide the council sound recommendations for restoring the quality of Iowa's STEM education brand.”

“All Iowa youth deserve an exciting, engaging STEM learning experience, " said Dr. Jeff Weld, executive director of the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council. “This first year the Council has prioritized student interest and achievement in STEM as the main target and is rapidly developing the infrastructure to meet the target. Recommendations of the seven other working groups will be integrated the following year as we move forward.”

The Governor’s STEM Advisory Council is a group established under Executive Order 74 by Governor Terry Branstad in July 2011. The Advisory board consists of 40-members representing business, education, industry, nonprofits, and local and state government. To see a list of the Governor’s STEM Advisory Subcommittee and Council Working Group members, please visit: www.iowamathscience.org/exec_comm.

Headquartered at East Bartlett Hall on the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) campus, the Iowa Mathematics and Science Education Partnership (IMSEP) is the program arm of the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council and a collaboration of Iowa’s public universities in affiliation with STEM education organizations across Iowa. IMSEP ‘s mission is preparing more high quality mathematics and science teachers for Iowa’s schools, improving mathematics and science performance of Iowa’s K-12 students and promoting statewide collaboration and cooperation in STEM education. For more information, go to www.iowamathscience.org.